January 27–February 1, 2020 · Elko, NATIONAL POETRY GATHERING THE ORIGINAL COWBOY POETRY AND MUSIC FESTIVAL

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is an annual Featured Artists celebration of the ranching and rural West and of lifestyles An American Forrest, Enterprise, OR Mike Beck, Manhattan, MT that are deeply connected to the earth and its bounty. Cat Clifford, Porcupine, SD Dylan Clough, Spanish Fork, UT Through poetry, music, and stories, ranch people express the beauty and challenges of that life. Doris Daley, Black Diamond, AB, Canada Each year during the heart of winter thousands travel to rural Elko, Nevada to listen, learn, and Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie, Eunice, LA share at what’s been called the most honest and open-hearted festival in America. John Dofflemyer, Lemon Cove, CA With hands-on gearmaking, cooking, dancing, and writing workshops; live poetry and music Carolyn Dufurrena, Winnemucca, NV Maria Lisa Eastman, Hyattville, WY performances; exhibitions, talks, films, and storytelling sessions; and plenty of socializing between Dom Flemons, Hillsborough, NC shows at the historic Pioneer Saloon or at one of the many dances, there’s something for everyone Patricia Frolander, Sundance, WY at “the Gathering.” And make sure to check out the open mics this year — or even participate Pipp Gillette & Lloyd Wright, yourself — because at the end of the week we’ll host a show featuring open mic highlights. So, Crockett, TX whether it’s your first or thirty-sixth Gathering, this is not one you’re going to want to miss. DW Groethe, Bainville, MT RW Hampton, Cimarron, NM Andy Hedges, Lubbock, TX Carol Heuchan, Cooranbong, NSW, Australia Yvonne Hollenbeck, Clearfield, SD Black Hot Club of Cowtown, Austin, TX Chris Isaacs, Eagar, AZ Randi Johnson, Hines, OR Cowboys Jarle Kvale, Dunseith, ND Ned LeDoux, Northeastern KS From the Mississippi Delta Corb Lund & the Hurtin’ Albertans, bayou to Buckaroo country, Southern AB, Canada Oklahoma grounds to Annie Mackenzie, Jordan Valley, OR Miko Marks, Oakland, CA the streets of Oakland and Los Waddie Mitchell, Twin Bridges, NV Angeles, people participate Marinna Mori, Tuscarora, NV in and identify with cowboy Tracy Morrison, Boise, ID and horseback communities The Munsick Boys, Dayton, WY around the country. This year Joel Nelson, Alpine, TX Rodney Nelson, Almont, ND we will feature individuals from Jonathan Odermann, Medora, ND these communities to explore Vess Quinlan, Florence, CO and celebrate the sometimes Henry Real Bird, Garryowen, MT underappreciated historic and Brigid Reedy, Whitehall, MT contemporary contributions of Randy Rieman, Choteau, MT Jake Riley, Riverdale, NE Black cowboys. Trinity Seely, Ojai, CA Meet some of our special guests R.P. Smith, Broken Bow, NE in talks, storytelling sessions, Jay Snider, Cyril, OK Dave Stamey, Orange Cove, CA performances, exhibitions, films, Gail Steiger, Prescott, AZ and more. Join us for a whirlwind Michael Stevens, Alpine, TX week as we honor the significant Tom Swearingen, Tualatin, OR and lasting influence Black Jessie Veeder, Watford City, ND cowboys have on what it means Wylie and the Wild West, Conrad, MT Paul Zarzyski, Great Falls, MT to be a cowboy.

Rory Doyle AND OTHER SPECIAL GUESTS!

36TH NATIONAL COWBOY POETRY GATHERING 1 Jessica Brandi Lifland Brandi Jessica Get Your Questions Answered Here! What do I get with a pass?...... 3 What is there to do?...... 4– 9, 12 – 16 How do I order tickets? ...... 3, 10 – 11 How do I become a member so I can buy my tickets early?...... 18 How do I get to Elko and where do I stay?...... 17

First-Timer? Is it your first time at the Gathering? We have some hints for you! For the ultimate first-time experience:

»» Become a member of the Folklife Center. As a member, you can buy your tickets during members’ pre-sales when shows often sell out. You’ll also get a free ticket to a members’ show, and a members discount on a 3-Day Deluxe Pass during pre-sales. »» Come early in the week for evening ticketed shows and workshops where you can learn how to craft Western gear, cook delicious food, write poetry, view special exhibitions, watch films, and more. »» Thursday through Saturday is when things really ramp up. In addition to ticketed shows, dance and music workshops, and nighttime dances, there are dozens of daytime poetry and music performances, talks, films, and demonstrations you can access with a daytime pass. »» Have fun! Whether you’re at a show or just sitting in the Pioneer Saloon and unwinding, the Gathering is a great place to meet new people and make new friends! Marla Aufmuth Marla

2 WWW.NATIONALCOWBOYPOETRYGATHERING.ORG TICKETS & Passes

What is the difference? TICKETED SHOWS are curated and feature a combination TICKET DISCOUNTS of poets, bands, singer-songwriters, and storytellers that you won’t see in the non-ticketed sessions. See this year’s ticketed & SPECIAL OFFERS shows starting on page 4. Are you a student? Are you under 35? Did you NON-TICKETED SHOWS AND EVENTS take buy a ticket to an early-week workshop? place during the day Thursday through Saturday (January 30– February 1). To attend, all you need is either a 3-Day Deluxe Are you bringing a friend (or friends) to the Pass ($60 for members from September 3 through October 2; Gathering for their first time? Are you a $80 beginning October 3) or a Single Day Pass ($30). With over 90 performances, storytelling sessions, films, talks, and more to working cowboy or ranch family? choose from, you’re sure to make good use of your pass. See »» If you answered yes to any of these, there’s a below for more details. special ticket discount or offer waiting for you! See The full schedule of sessions you can attend with a pass will be details on the order form, pages 10 and 11. posted in January at nationalcowboypoetrygathering.org and on our app at sched.org. Stay up to date on the full schedule as it Members of the Western Folklife Center can unfolds by following the Western Folklife Center on Facebook. buy tickets early! When can I buy them? »» See page 18 for more information.

Western Folklife Center members can purchase tickets one month before the general public, beginning at 9:00 am Pacific time, Tuesday, September 3, 2019. For information about membership, see page 18. The general public can purchase tickets beginning at Why should I buy a pass? 9:00 am Pacific time, Thursday, October 3, 2019. A 3-Day Deluxe Pass or Single Day Pass gives you access to non-ticketed shows and events that take place Thursday through THREE WAYS TO BUY: Saturday, which include: »» ONLINE (RECOMMENDED). Go to the Buy Tickets page at »» Intimate poetry, music, and storytelling events nationalcowboypoetrygathering.org. »» The keynote address »» BY PHONE. Call (775) 738-7508, or call toll-free from the U.S. »» Film screenings at (888) 880-5885, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific time, Monday »» Open mic sessions of music and poetry through Friday, beginning September 3 (for members). »» BY MAIL. Mail your completed order form (pages 10–11) to the The Deluxe Pass comes with a commemorative pin. Single Day Western Folklife Center, 501 Railroad Street, Elko, NV 89801. Pass and Deluxe Pass holders receive a Gathering program book. Jessica Brandi Lifland Brandi Jessica

36TH NATIONAL COWBOY POETRY GATHERING 3 SCHEDULE of Ticketed Shows & Events Come Early in the Week!

Take full advantage of all the Gathering has to MONDAY · JANUARY offer starting Monday. You’ll have more time and 27 space to visit with friends, chat with the artists WORKSHOP in the Pioneer Saloon, experience great evening shows of poetry and music, enjoy the exhibit Hatmaking Monday – Wednesday · 9:00am – 5:00pm · $350 gallery, or take a hands-on workshop in Western arts that is not available later in the week. If you Build your own 100% fur felt hat under the watchful eyes of master hatters Roy Jackson and Bernice (Ben) McNeven, owners participate in an early-week workshop, you can of Jaxonbilt Hat Co, International, based in Salmon, Idaho. get a discount to an early-week show. This three-day workshop will introduce you to the craft using methods that have changed very little since its conception in the mid 1800s. Prior to the workshop, participants will choose their desired felt color, brim width, and crown style. Raw bodies will be distributed on the first day. Over the following days you will undertake the full process, from blocking to pouncing to trimming. On the final day, cowboy hats are ready to wear home, customized complete with individual names embossed in gold on the 22-inch sweatbands. Charlie Ekburg

STORY FORUM SUNDAY · JANUARY 26 Veterans Writers Project WORKSHOP Monday – Friday · 9:00am – 4:00pm · FREE Drop in anytime. Stay as long as you like. Rawhide Braiding Spouses and family are encouraged to participate. Sunday – Wednesday · 9:00am – 5:00pm · $385 Great crises often produce great writing. War is no exception. And In this four-day workshop, Doug Groves will guide each student while the historians and politicians write the history books, the in creating a handsome set of button-studded leather bridle reins soldier’s version is often found in poems, songs, and stories. The with a 12-strand rawhide romal. Assisted by master braider Charlie Veterans Writers Project, hosted by the Veterans Resource Center Liesen and other workshop alumni, Doug will teach techniques (VRC) at Great Basin College, provides a place to tell and refine for processing rawhide from hide harvest to finished string. The the stories of veterans and their loved ones with the help of other camaraderie and cooperative learning among fellow braiders veterans and writers. Bill Jones, Vess Quinlan, David Richmond, of varied experience levels makes this a veritable celebration of and Ken and Betty Rodgers, along with Karen Lloyd of the Library rawhide! A 2017 recipient of the Nevada Heritage Award, Doug of Congress’ Veterans History Project (www.loc.gov/vets), host, Groves makes rawhide reatas, quirts, reins, and bosals of great encourage, and support veterans (and their families) as they share beauty and function. Doug learned braiding from peers in the their experiences. If you’re interested in learning more, just drop in bunkhouse and beyond and now passes on these techniques for or contact the VRC at (775) 753-2346 for more information. turning rawhide into fine horse gear. Open to beginner through intermediate braiders.

4 WWW.NATIONALCOWBOYPOETRYGATHERING.ORG SHOW WORKSHOP Ready, Set, . . . GO! Cowboy Comics G Three Bar Theater · 7:00 – 8:30pm · $20 Tuesday –Wednesday · 9:00am – 4:00pm · $150

The excellence of early week shows in Elko is a not-very-well- Turn your favorite cowboy poem, story, or image into a dramatic, kept secret. A stellar group of artists arrives in town before the eye-catching comic that grabs readers’ attention and immerses bigger crowds to teach workshops and visit local schools. And them in the gripping stories and settings of the American West. Monday night is your first night to catch them on stage. Join This two-day workshop with cartoonist Marek Bennett will also Carol Heuchan, fresh off the plane from Down Under, Brigid explore how cartoonists gather feedback, edit their work, and Reedy, stretching her legs after her long car ride from Montana, publish it for readers, culminating in a hand-made “mini” of and plenty more, for a first peek at the poetry, music, and Cowboy Poetry Comics Issue #2 to share with your pals back on extraordinary talent in Elko-town for all the live-long week! the ranch. Bring your favorite poem, song lyrics, picture, or family story… or use a piece provided from the Western Folklife Center’s collections. Basic art supplies included. No artistic experience TUESDAY · JANUARY 28 necessary — everyone can draw comics! WORKSHOP Simply Sourdough 9:00am – 12:00pm · $75

A love of bread and bread making runs deep in the Landa family. Growing up on the family ranch outside of Lovelock, Nevada, Dan Landa always looked forward to bread made by both his mother and father. Dan has added his own twist to the tradition using sourdough, with batches of this natural leavening always ready for new friends and old companions. Participants will learn about sourdough bread, pancakes, “chorizo in a bedroll,” and more. And if Landa’s popular chorizo-making workshop is any indication, this promises to be a Basque-style gathering of friends who enjoy Andrea Graham Andrea cooking, eating, and having a good time in the process. Veterans Writers Project Ongoing · See Monday Schedule

WORKSHOP Build Your Own Western Eclectic Jewelry Tuesday –Wednesday · 9:00am–4:00pm · $250

Learn how to build a pair of earrings and a wrap-style ring from start to finish with silversmith Nevada Miller. Nevada began engraving and fabricating silverwork when she was a junior in high school. An appreciation for Western trades, arts, and ways of life has been handed down to Nevada from her parents, Jeremiah and Colleen Watt. This class is for all skill levels and will cover sawing, filing, stamping, soldering, and finishing your two items. The jewelry will be made in a southwestern style incorporating commonly seen stamp work, with the option to add custom elements, such as a brand or other meaningful symbols. Come spend two days with Nevada Miller, and have a blast building something you love. Nevada Miller Nevada Miller 36TH NATIONAL COWBOY POETRY GATHERING 5 TUESDAY · JANUARY 28 WEDNESDAY · JANUARY 29 CONTINUED

WORKSHOP Veterans Writers Project Ongoing · See Monday Schedule Clay Pot Cooking The Perfect Pour 1:00 – 4:00pm · $75 3:00 – 4:30pm · $75

Reem Odeh, owner of Elko restaurant Odeh’s Mediterranean, will show you how she prepares a meal for a family gathering WORKSHOP in her small hometown of Bethlehem, Palestine. Reem learned to cook by helping her mother in the kitchen from a young age, and she dreamed of someday having her own restaurant. She A Day at the Ranch immigrated to the United States with her family in 2006, and in 9:00am – 4:00pm · $175 includes lunch 2017 her dream came true. Now her husband and sons help Reem serve up her love of food and family. In this workshop she will Spend the day in the scenic ranching community of Clover share her secrets for cooking a beef or lamb stew in a traditional Valley, located just south of Wells, Nevada, at the base of the clay pot (called a fahora in Arabic). She will also demonstrate her east Humboldt range of the Ruby Mountains. The Dalton and technique for the perfect hummus, which she swears you won’t Brough ranching families have called Clover Valley home for learn from a recipe. over a century, and members of the fourth generation are now in management positions and have children of their own. WORKSHOP These two diversified ranches include cow-calf, seedstock, and haying operations as well as off-farm income generation such as direct marketing of beef to local restaurants. The Daltons and The Perfect Pour Broughs will discuss how adoption of new technology, marketing 3:00 – 4:30pm · $75 · Offered again on Wednesday innovation, opportunistic expansion, and hard work have allowed their family ranches to remain viable. There will also be a stop Throughout modern history, our obsession with the cocktail has at the Wells Rural Electric Company for a dutch oven lunch and been one of complex adoration and mutual innovation, weighing a talk about the history of electricity in rural Nevada. During the creative passion with our capacity for vice. We continue this bus ride to and from, retired University of Nevada Cooperative tradition with an examination of the cocktail’s evolution over the Extension Specialist and tour guide extraordinaire Ron Torell will decades and its impact on our own local history. Join us for this discuss federal lands grazing, the Taylor Grazing Act, settlement of year’s installation of Duncan LittleCreek Gallery & the Gallery Bar’s the West, and agriculture and mining in the area. The Perfect Pour. Learn tips and tricks to create your own stunning libations. Take some poetic license on a few classic cocktails and learn to make some of the DLC’s exclusive signature drinks. Must be 21+ with valid ID to participate.

SHOW Cowboy Stew G Three Bar Theater · 7:00 – 8:30pm · $20

This show is sure to be an early week treat! Take one multi-faceted, multi-instrumentalist Texas institution (don’t remove the ten gallon hat). Combine with one Nevada icon (garnished with mustache and wild rag). Add a returning favorite from Arizona (horseshoes optional, but be generous with the meter). All ingredients should be well seasoned, with friendships and collaborations developed over the years. Top with equal parts poetry and music, to taste. Turn on high for an hour and a half. There you have it — a surefire recipe for a satisfying cowboy concoction featuring Pipp

Gillette, Chris Isaacs, and Waddie Mitchell. Lifland Brandi Jessica Pipp Gillette and Waddie Mitchell

6 WWW.NATIONALCOWBOYPOETRYGATHERING.ORG WORKSHOP Banjo 101 & 202 Banjo 101: 10:00am–12:00pm · $25 Banjo 202: 2:00–4:00pm · $25 (Each workshop requires a separate registration)

Spend a couple of hours with old-time banjo player Lloyd Wright as he shares his knowledge about the five-string banjo, discussing the instrument’s history, and exploring different styles including clawhammer and two-finger. Bluegrass pickers beware — you won’t find any Scruggs style here. ForBanjo 101, Lloyd will teach you some simple chord shapes and strumming patterns, as well as a tune or two to practice on your own front porch. Those with some banjo experience can sign up for Banjo 202 and explore alternate tunings, picking styles, and accompaniment techniques. This is a BYOB event — bring your own banjo (and a capo wouldn’t hurt either)!

WORKSHOP Jessica Brandi Lifland Brandi Jessica Lloyd Wright A Writing Workshop WORKSHOP with Doris & Carol Dutch Oven Cooking 1:00 – 4:00pm · $30 from Cow Camp to Home Story. Pacing. Originality. Revision. Technique. Sparkle. Doris Daley and Carol Heuchan will make the case that all styles 9:00am – 12:00pm · $75 of poetry — rhyming, haiku, free verse, sonnets, and even Dutch ovens are a staple of cowboy cooking, whether out on the limericks — are like a sports event. Natural talent is good, but range or at home, and this workshop gives you a chance to learn natural talent, knowledge, and hard work are even better. If from some of the masters of the cast iron. Cowboy poet Chris you write in a traditional rhymed-and-metered style, this is Isaacs and master fiddler Alex MacLeod will guide you through the the workshop for you. If you write in any style, this is also the use of seasoned cast iron dutch oven cookware to prepare bread, workshop for you. All ages and all levels of writers welcome. stews, pies, and other traditional fare. Doris and Carol promise a fun experience that blends the graceful and gritty components of poetry (pattern, rhyme, meter, WORKSHOP figures of speech) with the inspirational. If there’s time (and they’ll make time!), these two top poets/presenters will touch on Rhyme or Reason: Where memorization and performance tips. Do Poems Come From WORKSHOP 9:00am–12:00pm · $30 Southern Trail Ride Cooking In this age of instant communication via satellites and cellphones, 1:00 – 4:00pm · $75 why take the time to write a poem? Because time is the key ingredient. John Dofflemyer appreciates the timing and rhythms African-American riding clubs have saddled up for generations of life, and he will guide workshop participants in lively and very in Mississippi, Louisiana, and east Texas, participating in parades, personal discussions of what triggers poetry. Is it assonance and horse shows, and popular trail rides. At trail’s end, riders the musical qualities of language that initiate our first lines, or is look forward to socializing, music and dancing, and sharing a it art and emotion that insist we write? Or both? And how do we good meal. Baked beans, corn bread, steak, cabbage, and smoked shape and control the poem with rhyme and meter as well as sausage are among trail ride favorites. Enjoy an afternoon with other figures of speech? At the end of this workshop, participants one of the region’s favorite cooks as she shares recipes and stories will compose and read a poem to the group. from this deep-rooted, horse-loving community.

36TH NATIONAL COWBOY POETRY GATHERING 7 SHOW WEDNESDAY · JANUARY 29 Members’ Show One: CONTINUED Cowboy Classics SHOW Elko Convention Center Auditorium · 12:00 – 1:30pm Western Vernacular $40/Free to members with ticket Elko Convention Center Auditorium · 7:00 – 8:30pm Fortify yourself: this show will have a healthy dose of tradition! $40/$30/$25 Expert reciter, traveling horseman, and Montana legend Randy Rieman infuses vitality, inflection, and life into the cowboy poetry In grand tradition, the Auditorium stage opens with a Wednesday canon. Master poet Jay Snider shares his Oklahoma wisdom, night music fest that kicks the Gathering into high gear. Tickle reflecting the experiences of cowboys and rodeo riders of the your ears with the baritone tenor of RW Hampton, the blood past and present. And cowboy and master luthier Michael harmonies of The Munsick Boys, and the cowboy vernacular Stevens will be making his Elko debut, bringing his special of Wylie and the Wild West. Now that’s some Western brand of Texas style to Nevada. They brush the dust off any entertainment! metaphorical bruises, shake out any symbolic wrinkles, adjust their wild rags, and move on down the trail.

WORKSHOP 1:00 – 2:00pm · $25

Learn the knack of clacking the bones! Described as the American Songster, Dom Flemons draws on his extensive old-time and folk music knowledge to teach the history and skill behind this popular traditional rhythm instrument. Bring your own bonesor visit the Courtesy of The Munsick Boys The Munsick Boys gift shop to get your own bones if you don’t already have some! THURSDAY · JANUARY 30 Veterans Writers Project Ongoing · See Monday Schedule

T A L K Keynote Address Elko Convention Center Auditorium · 9:30 – 10:30am Free with 3-Day Deluxe or Day Pass

When mechanized modes of transportation replaced horses in the first half of the 20th Century, urbanites imagined a future with cleaner cities while their rural counterparts hoped for a more prosperous future as they replaced animals with tractors and other work-saving machines. Some wondered about the fate of the unemployed equines. What purpose could horses possibly serve beyond industries such as ranching and entertainment? In this year’s keynote session, our speakers explore the value and growing relevance of horses in contemporary society and how we might regain the important connection horses once represented between rural and urban communities. Lifland Brandi Jessica Dom Flemons

8 WWW.NATIONALCOWBOYPOETRYGATHERING.ORG WORKSHOP Square Dance 2:00 –4:00pm · $25

Maybe you’ve heard stories about the “way-back, Western” days when families would travel all day just to attend a square dance. Then they’d dance all night, eat an early breakfast, and ride home again to get back to ranch chores. Do you have that kind of dedication? And stamina?! We won’t go all night, but this two- hour workshop will show you why square dancing did — and still does — attract a great community. No experience necessary! Alex MacLeod, square dance caller and fiddler from , will teach you everything you need to know. His band Rattlesnail will crank out tunes sure to inspire dancing as you cruise through the afternoon. After this workshop, you’ll be primed and ready for a square dance prelude at the Friday & Saturday Night Dances. Live

music, fast-paced dancing — don’t miss it! Aufmuth Marla Dylan Clough SHOW California Dreaming Elko Convention Center Auditorium · 6:00 – 7:30pm $40/$30/$25

“They” may say that California isn’t country. But this trio of songwriters testifies to the country sensibilities found in those California vibes. Miko Marks’ soulful voice calls up country music’s roots and its branches. Beloved by the Oakland Black Cowboys Association, Miko’s brand of musical storytelling — from her 2005 “Freeway Bound” debut to her recent inspiration on the roller rinks — calls to mind propensities for traveling west, taking risks, falling hard, and helping each other up. Mike Beck‘s songs resonate deeply with the lessons he learned from his many years in the Golden State. And Dave Stamey’s incisive, illustrious, homegrown and free-and-easy style is surely influenced by the salt-tinged breezes of California. Join these musical mavens as they push the boundaries of country to the Pacific Ocean and beyond...

SHOW Blazing Trails

Jessica Brandi Lifland Brandi Jessica G Three Bar Theater · 8:00 – 9:30pm · $75/$35 Carol Heuchan This is going to be an evening so full of musical grit, the grains SHOW will be stuck in your ears for weeks (metaphorically, of course). Forrest Van Tuyl spends his summers with a pack string in That Seventies Show Eastern Oregon and his winters unpacking poetic Western G Three Bar Theater · 6:00–7:30pm · $75/$35 music with his band An American Forrest. Cat Clifford rides hard from Lakota Country around the country, working leather, This totally groovy show will prove that with age comes wisdom… making music, and sweeping rodeos with his bold brand of and a sense of humor, with a side of aches and pains. Join DW country rock. A self-professed rambler and folklore enthusiast, Groethe, Carol Heuchan, Waddie Mitchell, Rodney Nelson, Utah singer-songwriter Dylan Clough creates music at a and Vess Quinlan as they circle up and swap poems about the Western pace. A musical evening of guts, glory, guitar-slinging, things they’ve learned along the way to being a septagenarian. and grabbing life by its… horns. Bring your bandana!

36TH NATIONAL COWBOY POETRY GATHERING 9 Tickets & Passes TICKETS GO ON SALE Tuesday, September 3, 2019, at 9:00am Pacific Time to members and Thursday, October 3, 2019, at 9:00am Pacific Time to the General Public. Order tickets online at www.westernfolklife.org, by phone at (888) 880-5885 (toll free) or (775) 738-7508, ORDER FORM or complete this form and mail it to the address at bottom right. Email questions to [email protected].

PASSES Children under 12 accompanied by an adult are admitted free to non-ticketed daytime events. EVENING PERFORMANCES & SPECIAL EVENTS CHECK OUT DATE DAY TIME TITLE PRICE QTY SUBTOTAL Most performances are 90 minutes. G Three Bar Theater (G3Bar) at the Western Folklife Center is general Is your membership up-to-date? (See page 18 for benefit information.) 1/30-2/1 Thu-Sat 9:30am–4:30pm Three-Day Deluxe Pass $80 ______seating. Convention Center Auditorium (CCAud) is assigned seating. Varied pricing scale for the auditorium shows reflect seat location with the higher-priced seats being closest to the stage. Premium priced G3Bar  New  Renewal September 3–October 2 MEMBERS’ ONLY Pre-Sale $60 ______show tickets are for a limited number of pre-seat tickets o ered during member sales period only. 1/30 Thu 9:30am–4:30pm Single Day Pass (Thursday) $30 ______ Friend $40  Family $75  Patron $100  Contributor $150  Supporter $250  Partner $500  Donor $1,000  Benefactor $1,500  Sustainer $3,000 1/31 Fri 9:30am–4:30pm Single Day Pass (Friday) $30 ______DATE DAY TIME LOCATION TITLE PRICE QTY SUBTOTAL 2/1 Sat 9:30am–4:30pm Single Day Pass (Saturday) $30 ______1/27 Mon 7pm G3Bar Ready, Set, . . . GO! $20 ______1/28 Tue 7pm G3Bar Cowboy Stew $20 ______Pass & Ticket Total: $ ______WORKSHOPS & TALKS 1/29 Wed 7pm CCAud Western Vernacular $40/$30/$25 ______Membership Total: $ ______DATE DAY TIME TITLE PRICE QTY SUBTOTAL 1/30 Thu 12pm CCAud Members’ Show One $40 ______Free to members* (ticket required) 1/26-29 Sun-Wed 9am Rawhide Braiding $385 ______Donation: $ ______1/27-29 Mon-Wed 9am Hatmaking $350 ______1/30 Thu 6pm G3Bar That Seventies Show $75**/$35 ______10.00 (per order) 1/28-29 Tue-Wed 9am Build Your Own Western Eclectic Jewelry $250 ______1/30 Thu 6pm CCAud California Dreaming $40/$30/$25 ______Processing Fee: $ ______1/30 Thu 8pm G3Bar Blazing Trails $75**/$35 ______1/28-29 Tue-Wed 9am Cowboy Comics $150 ______GRAND TOTAL: $ ______1/28 Tue 9am Simply Sourdough $75 ______1/31 Fri 11am CCAud Members’ Show Two $40 ______Free to members* (ticket required) 1/28 Tue 1pm Clay Pot Cooking $75 ______Payment Method 1/31 Fri 6pm G3Bar The Sound of Horses $75**/$35 ______1/28 Tue 3pm The Perfect Pour $75 ______1/31 Fri 6pm CCAud Better Part of Living $40/$30/$25 ______ Check payable to Western Folklife Center (check #______) 1/29 Wed 9am A Day at the Ranch $175 ______1/31 Fri 8pm G3Bar Tribute to Don Edwards $75**/$35 ______ Visa  MasterCard  American Express 1/29 Wed 9am Dutch Oven Cooking from Cow Camp to Home $75 ______1/31 Fri 8pm CCAud Battle of the Bands $40/$30/$25 ______Card Number 1/29 Wed 9am Rhyme or Reason: Where Do Poems Come From $30 ______1/31 Fri 9pm CCTurq Friday Night Dance $20 ______1/29 Wed 10am Banjo 101 $25 ______Security Code (CCV) Expiration Date 2/1 Sat 11am CCAud Cowboy Caffeine, Extra Strong $30 ______1/29 Wed 2pm Banjo 202 $25 ______Cardholder Name 2/1 Sat 2:30pm G3Bar Blues on the Range $30 ______1/29 Wed 1pm A Writing Workshop with Doris & Carol $30 ______2/1 Sat 3pm CCAud Ranch Family Show $30 ______Signature 1/29 Wed 1pm Southern Trail Ride Cooking $75 ______Free to ranch families (ticket required) Mailing Address 1/29 Wed 3pm The Perfect Pour $75 ______2/1 Sat 6pm G3Bar Straight Chutin’ Champions $75**/$35 ______Name 1/30 Thu 1pm Bones $25 ______2/1 Sat 6pm CCAud I Wanna Be a Comic Cowboy $40/$30/$25 ______1/30 Thu 2pm Square Dance $25 ______2/1 Sat 8pm G3Bar Highlights of the Open Mic $35 ______Address 1/31 Fri 10am Country Waltz $25 ______2/1 Sat 8pm CCAud Stay a Little Longer $40/$30/$25 ______1/31 Fri 1pm Cowboy Chords $25 ______2/1 Sat 9pm CCTurq Saturday Night Dance $20 ______City State Zip Code 1/31 Fri 2pm Zydeco $25 ______2/2 Sun 12am G3Bar Midnight Dance $20 ______Daytime Phone 2/1 Sat 10am Lindy Hop $25 ______Pass & Ticket Total: ______2/1 Sat 10:30am Square Dance for the Family $5 ______Email 2/1 Sat 1pm Conversation with Hot Club of Cowtown $25 ______SPECIAL OFFERS Billing Address (if different) 2/1 Sat 2pm Old Time Ranch Dance $25 ______Early Week Discount Bring a Friend (or Four) ALL SALES ARE NON REFUNDABLE AND NON EXCHANGEABLE Gathering The Next Generation Are you attending an early week Bring friends who are new to the Gathering and earn a workshop? If so, you qualify for a $5 FREE 3-Day Deluxe Pass for yourself! Here’s how: Mail this form to Are you between the ages of 15 and 35? A limited number of Day Passes and evening show tickets discount to both Monday and Tuesday »» Bring two new friends to the Gathering. National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Tickets are available at the discounted price of $20! Buy up to two tickets per show as well as up to two Day night shows at 7:00pm in the G3Bar »» Purchase two Deluxe Passes for your friends. Western Folklife Center Passes. Not all shows are discounted, so look for the icon in our Ticketed Shows list to see which theater! Just call the ticket office with »» Email or phone us with their contact information. 501 Railroad St. are. Tickets are will-call only and all ticket/pass users must show valid proof of age at pickup. When your order and request the early week Elko, NV 89801-3752 »» We confirm your friends are new to the Gathering. purchasing tickets online, please use discount code NEXTGEN on the checkout form. discount for the shows. »» We ship one FREE Deluxe Pass to you! Questions? Email [email protected] or call (888) 880-5885, ext. 1 Members’ Pre-Sale 3-Day Deluxe Pass Discount RANCHERS & WORKING Even better, if you bring four new friends and buy NEXTGEN available tickets Members can buy Deluxe Passes at a discount! 3-Day Deluxe Passes will be $60 from September COWBOYS get in free to the Ranch Deluxe Passes for them, you qualify for two FREE Family Show and can request free day Deluxe Passes! *Members’ Show tickets (see membership benefits grid on page 18) 3 – October 2 only. Learn how to become a member on page 18. **Special pre-seat option for limited number of tickets/show. Pre-seat ticket holders will have special/early access to the theater. passes by calling the ticket office.

10 11 ng FRIDAY, JANUARY 31 Veterans Writers Project Ongoing · See Monday Schedule

WORKSHOP

Country Waltz Dave Creaney Whit Smith 10:00am – 12:00pm · $25 WORKSHOP

It’s been said that, “If you can’t waltz, you can’t fall in love!” Amy Mills will teach you the tricks to gliding, twirling, and whirling Cowboy Chords your way across the dance floor in triple time. (Romantic advice 1:00 – 2:30pm · $25 not included — but once you stop stepping on your partner’s toes, who knows what might happen?) No experience or A guitar workshop and rare American music discovery expedition! partners necessary. Hot Club of Cowtown’s founding member, Whit Smith, will give an in-depth tour of vintage Western swing music, its influences, and SHOW how to play it on guitar. Whit will demonstrate the wondrous style that has all but vanished and teach techniques from beginner to Members’ Show Two: What advanced so that anyone attending will have something new to play by the end of the class. Bring your guitar! Interested non- Can’t a Ranch Woman Do? guitar players are enthusiastically encouraged to participate as the material will be of interest to all fans of Bob Wills and jazz music. Elko Convention Center Auditorium · 11:00am – 12:30pm $40/Free to members with ticket WORKSHOP Roles know no gender on the ranch when there’s work to be done. And ranch women conform to no stereotype. Join Doris Zydeco Daley, Carolyn Dufurrena, Patricia Frolander, and newcomer Randi Johnson — strong, distinct female voices — for poetry 2:00 – 4:00pm · $25 about everything that ranch women do, straight from the source. There’s something joyfully infectious about the music of rural As recipients of the Della Johns scholarship, these women Louisiana. “Catch the bug” with Amy Mills as you learn to dance continue the legacy of Della, who was herself a ranch woman, along to the zydeco beat. Experience quick-stepping techniques career nurse, and all-around inspirational female figure. With in this workshop before hitting the dance floor later on Friday one foot on the ranch and one foot in town, these women of night to dance the night away to the incomparable Geno Delafose the world provide a glimpse of their everyday lives through their & French Rockin’ Boogie. This class is for everyone. Beginners are stories and verse. welcome, and you don’t need a partner to attend.

SHOW The Sound of Horses G Three Bar Theater · 6:00 – 7:30pm · $75/$35

All-around ranch kid Marinna Mori, renowned reciter and writer Joel Nelson, profound picker Gail Steiger, and soothing songstress Trinity Seely all know a thing or two about horses. A good horse can keep a cowboy safe. And also teach one a thing or two. And, most good horses eventually find their way into a cowboy’s verse, whether as the star of the story or as a more subtle muse. With the fine ears of buckaroos attuned to their four- legged friends, these artists interpret life a-horseback. Listen in as the long-standing companionship between horse and human

Courtesy of Randi Johnson comes alive in this evening’s verse and song. Randi Johnson 12 WWW.NATIONALCOWBOYPOETRYGATHERING.ORG SHOW SHOW Better Part of Living Battle of the Bands Elko Convention Center Auditorium · 6:00 – 7:30pm Elko Convention Center Auditorium · 8:00 – 10:00pm $40/$30/$25 $40/$30/$25

An evening of sonic indulgence, Great Plains inflections, and What beats a powerhouse ramblers’ observations infused with a love of home and a band with a compelling penchant for verse. Hailing from Kansas by way of Wyoming, frontman and a catalog country music heir Ned LeDoux honors his father’s legacy of perfectly crafted, hard while blazing his own lyrical trail. From the prairies of Nebraska, hitting songs? Three of poet Jake Riley writes and recites with a philosophy of life — in ’em! Hailing from big sky all its ordinary ups and downs — that’s all his own. And, from country, Wylie & the the badlands of North Dakota, Jessie Veeder — songwriter, Wild West bring moves photographer, columnist, speaker, rancher, mother, road and musicianship that warrior — joins with her father to spin their own folk music sound. will have you yodeling Sustained by the wind, wheat, wide highways, and whirling hawks with delight. From bayou of the open grasslands, these performers exemplify a road-tested, country, Geno Delafose home-rooted, rising generation coming into their own. & French Rockin’ Boogie break it down with rubboard, accordion, and irresistible zydeco charm. And, wild rose country’s Corb Lund & the Hurtin’ Albertans match them nose-to- nose with Western wit and devil-may-care Charlie Ekburg dash. Each putting their Geno Delafose unique stamp on Western music, these outfits and their frontmen manage to be both utterly contemporary and cool-ly traditional. Exuding a catchiness that comes from cutting horses and cutting hay, they’ll cut up the concert stage with an ease that is sure to please. Like a rogue rough country cow or a side-of-the-road honky tonk, this three-fer is so wild it hurts. Hurts so good. Charlie Ekburg DANCE Ned LeDoux SHOW Friday Night Dance Tribute to Don Edwards Elko Convention Center · 9:00pm – 12:00am · $20

G Three Bar Theater · 8:00 – 9:30pm · $75/$35 We’re kicking the dance off early this year! From 9 to 10, get ready to do-si-do with Alex MacLeod and Rattlesnail, warming up A mesmerizing voice of character and depth. An immaculate your legs in time for Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie to memory. A songlike yodel. An effortless skill with a guitar. A hit the stage at 10. When he’s not harvesting 200 acres of grass, presence that exudes gravitas and warmth. All of these describe Geno is coaxing couples to the dance floor with his low-slung consummate and irreplicable cowboy balladeer Don Edwards — a accordion and killer backing band. From grass-cutting to rug- man who has devoted his life and career to carrying forward a cutting, these Creole cowboys know how to pass a good time. multitude of cowboy musical traditions. Dom Flemons, Andy With their red-hot rhythms and nouveau zydeco style, Geno Hedges, Dave Stamey, and a host of other performers deeply Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie bring you bayou-soaked influenced by the music Don has kept alive and kicking will take boogie beats all the way from Louisiana. Melding Cajun and blues the stage to pay tribute to this living legend. With almost 50 years with a good dash of soul and country and Western, this band is of crooning, yipping, and picking under his belt, Don Edwards is sure to spice up your two-steps, waltzes, and swing. Just bring no “vanishing minstrel of the range.” His legacy is visible, vital, and your best boogie spirit to the floor — your feet will follow! revitalizing, as evidenced by this stirring homage.

36TH NATIONAL COWBOY POETRY GATHERING 13 WORKSHOP SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Conversation with WORKSHOP Hot Club of Cowtown Lindy Hop 1:00 – 2:30pm · $25 10:00am – 12:00pm · $25 Join Whit, Elana, and Jake of the Hot Club of Cowtown in a candid workshop exploring all aspects of living the dream, If your toes are tapping, but you still need some good moves, this traveling the world, and making music as a Western swing is a perfect dance for you. Lindy hop is the rodeo swing for the trio. This is a free-ranging session with the band sharing and urban set, a dance that’s been rockin’ from coast to coast since exploring ideas on song-writing, arranging, putting together it was born in Harlem in the 1920s and its revival in the ’90s. Amy three-part vocal harmonies, violin and guitar twin lines, rhythm Mills will teach you the moves and keep you grinning. Geared to playing, improvisation, soloing ideas, and finding unexpected beginning and intermediate dancers, but all levels are welcome. songs and out-of-the way inspiration. The band will welcome You don’t need a partner to attend. audience questions and participation to guide this informal session to explore and discuss all aspects of the musical, WORKSHOP Western, and traveling-life. You don’t need to be a musician to find this workshop compelling — any music lover can join in this Square Dance for the Family conversation about making music, creating, and maintaining a Western swing trio over more than two decades, and the joy 10:30am – 12:00pm · $5 adult and satisfaction that comes from creating your own unique Free for children accompanied by an adult contribution to artistic and Western life. Activities where entire families can participate together are rare — but square dancing can be an incredible experience for the whole family. Kids get a thrill from dancing with their parents, and parents remember forever those brief years when they get to dance with their kids. This workshop will focus on family-friendly dances that are entertaining for children and adults alike. Live music will get everyone dancing, and caller Alex MacLeod will teach all the movements — no experience necessary. We’ll have some big, big fun together!

SHOW Cowboy Caffeine, Extra Strong Elko Convention Center Auditorium · 11:00am – 12:30pm $30 Jessica Brandi Lifland Brandi Jessica A Saturday morning session of singer-songwriter WORKSHOP sensibilities — subtle, but with a splash of showmanship. These three cowboys-with- Old Time Ranch Dance guitars will start your day off 2:00 – 4:00pm · $25 like a cup of strong cowboy coffee. Cowgirl chanteuse With the current old-time music revival holding strong across Trinity Seely, sagebrush the country, young and old are rediscovering the joys of social storyteller Ned LeDoux, and dancing to live music. With a few simple steps, these dances can ranchhand entertainer RW still raise the roof when the bow hits the fiddle strings. Craig Miller Hampton ease you into your will lead you through dances like the Virginia reel, circle dances, Saturday with their special and a variety of other dances with simple steps. Partners aren’t blend. It’s a smooth, warm, necessary, just come prepared to meet a lot of people and have a comforting pick-me-up! ton of fun — the old-fashioned way. Jessica Brandi Lifland Brandi Jessica RW Hampton 14 WWW.NATIONALCOWBOYPOETRYGATHERING.ORG SHOW Blues on the Range G Three Bar Theater · 2:30 – 4:00pm · $30

From Charley Willis to Lead Belly to Lil Nas X, African Americans have always had an impact on Western culture and music. Fresh off his acclaimed Black Cowboys album release, Dom Flemons brings traditional ditties and original ballads that share deep stories of cowboy history. Pipp Gillette & Lloyd Wright shake the cowboy music repertoire down to the bones. And Andy Hedges adds to the chronicling with lore in the form of poetry and song. These singing knowledge-holders (and friends) speak to the historical and contemporary impact of Black cowboys as they swap songs. Join them and some special guests for an afternoon of musical chemistry, camaraderie, and compositions born where the blues meet the grass. Courtesy of Miko Marks Miko Marks SHOW SHOW Ranch Family Show Straight Chutin’ Champions Elko Convention Center Auditorium · 3:00 – 4:15pm $30/Free to ranch families with ticket G Three Bar Theater · 6:00 – 7:30pm · $75/$35

Celebrate family ranching and family music-making with these These rodeo pros steer an evening of massive entertainment from three father-led family units in an afternoon of shared experience, the chute to the dirt, bringing you stories and spirits of far-flung shared genes, and shared songs. Four-man Wyoming operation arenas and the roads in between. The roster includes Pine Ridge’s The Munsick Boys bring fiddling, guitar-playing, songwriting, and five-time Indian qualifier and high-flying Western living to their broad-ranging Western music. Montana musician Cat Clifford; rodeo- and radio-crowd pleaser, past Bill trio Brigid Reedy and her father, John, and brother, Johnny Pickett Invitational Rodeo touring musician, and country singer “Guitar” Reedy, yodel, recite, write, sing, and swing with an artistry Miko Marks; pro language-twirler, record setter, saddle bronc that grows from their shared bonds. And, from the family ranch rider, and horse raiser, Crow Country’s Henry Real Bird; in western North Dakota, folk and country music singer Jessie and bareback verse Montana rodeo poet Paul Zarzyski. From Veeder performs with the man who taught her what she knows, rodeo woes to rodeo wins, these four eschew playin’ it safe, her father, Gene Veeder. These dads show off their impressive bulldoggin’ big songs and relaying rounds of rousing words as broods, proving that the family band is not a lost artform. And only real roughstock rodeo crew can do. neither is family ranching. SHOW I Just Wanna Be a Comic Cowboy Elko Convention Center Auditorium · 6:00 – 7:30pm $40/$30/$25

From subtle deliveries to outlandish turns of phrase, these punchy poets promise an evening of giggles and guffaws. Traversing the stylistic ground of humor, this line-up rolls fun-loving chemistry, expansive repertoire, and off-the-cuff poetic dexterity into a bundle of entertainment. Alberta’s siren of sass Doris Daley, South Dakota’s non-stop wit-wielder Yvonne Hollenbeck, North Dakota’s stealthily riotous Jarle Kvale, North Dakota’s deadpan doozy-dropper Rodney Nelson, and Nebraska’s seam-busting jokester R.P. Smith are a crew that’s sure to have you in stitches. You’ll wonder if they’re poets or comedians. And, really, it’s half Jessica Brandi Lifland Brandi Jessica Rodney Nelson and Yvonne Hollenbeck dozen of one, six of the other.

36TH NATIONAL COWBOY POETRY GATHERING 15 DANCE SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Midnight Dance CONTINUED G Three Bar Theater · 12:00 – 2:00am · $20 SHOW Don’t pack your bags yet! Give your boots one last shine and your mustache one last wax. After a week of hard work and hard Highlights of the Open Mic play, it’s time for the last stroll around the dancefloor. Make some memories (or shake some memories) at the Midnight Dance. Corb G Three Bar Theater · 8:00 – 9:30pm · $35 Lund & the Hurtin’ Albertans bring the Gathering home. Every year, poets, musicians, and storytellers overcome time, travel, and cost to sign up for the Gathering’s open mic sessions. From inspirational newcomers to impressive old hands, amateurs to professionals, the stirring voices of the open mic speak to the spirit of the Gathering — the spirit of self-expression. Expression of life and land. Expression of the people. The open mics draw dedicated wordslingers and tunesmiths who share their voices with us during three days of camaraderie and creativity. These performers demonstrate the value of process and participation, underscore the vitality of the tradition, and produce moments of sheer delight and enlightenment. As that magic moves to the G Three stage for the evening, you can expect highlights that are raw and polished, entertaining and thought-provoking. The people will be heard.

SHOW Jessica Brandi Lifland Brandi Jessica Corb Lund Stay a Little Longer Elko Convention Center Auditorium · 8:00 – 9:30pm $40/$30/$25 POSTER ARTIST: MARION COLEMAN

By nourishing their musical roots, the two acts that share this bill Marion Coleman was a self-taught textile artist who designed grow new musical life full of substance and pizzazz. Hot Club projects that explored community stories, African-American of Cowtown is a classic Western swing combo with a beyond- history and culture, social injustice, women, and aging. She drew classic sound, melding the strains of Elana James’ stellar fiddling, on her 20 years of Whit Smith’s virtuosic guitar playing, and Jake Erwin’s timeless experience as a social bass slapping into a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts. worker to enrich the Dom Flemons blends folk mastery, blues prowess, and country work she created about dexterity into a compound beyond compare. The chemistry of community, health and this hard-swinging trio and hard-singing songster is undeniable. wellness, and race. She became a professional DANCE artist in 2003. Her public art projects Saturday Night Dance can be found in several Bay Area Elko Convention Center · 9:00pm – 12:00am · $20 cities. In 2016, she curated “Neighborhoods Coming Together,” Give your boots the old spit and shine and get ready to slide a place-making project about Oakland, CA, that was featured in across the floor. From 9 to 10, find a partner and circle up for The New York Times. Her work has been exhibited nationally (The some more square dancing with Alex MacLeod and Rattlesnail. Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, OH; Bullock But don’t tire yourself out. At 10, Wylie & The Wild West will rev Museum, Austin, TX; and Michigan State University, East Lansing, you up with their rugged yet refined rhythms. A little bit Western MI) and internationally (South Africa, Europe, Japan, Costa Rica swing, a little bit old-school country, a little bit rootsy rock, and a and the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem). In 2018, she was recognized little bit yodel-ay-ay-cool, Wylie and Co. hit all the right notes to and honored with a National Heritage Fellowship from the choreograph a stellar evening of bootie-shaking. Guaranteed to National Endowment of the Arts. Coleman lived and worked in make you wild on the dance floor. Castro Valley, CA, from 1984 until her death in April 2019.

16 WWW.NATIONALCOWBOYPOETRYGATHERING.ORG ELKO & Planning Your Visit

HOW TO GET HERE: SHOW LOCATIONS Elko is located in the northeastern corner of Nevada along Most events take place at the Western Folklife Center (501 Railroad Interstate 80. We are 230 miles from , 290 miles Street) and the Elko Convention Center/Conference Center from Reno, 425 miles from Las Vegas, and 255 miles from Boise. (700 Moren Way). Cooking workshops take place at the First Elko is serviced by Skywest Airlines (a Delta Air Lines connection) Presbyterian Church (1559 Sewell Drive) and dance workshops are from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Elko (EKO). Amtrak’s California Zephyr at the Elko High School Old Gym (987 College Avenue/9th Street). stops in Elko daily. Airplane and helicopter charter services are Additional activities may be scheduled at Great Basin College also available. (1500 College Parkway) and other venues. Find a map of Elko and all locations at nationalcowboypoetrygathering.com and in the WHERE TO STAY: official event schedule. Elko boasts over 35 hotels/motels and five RV parks. There are plenty of rooms to choose from, and room rates span a wide price ACCESSIBILITY range. There are always available rooms during the Gathering; Assisted-listening devices are available in the Elko Convention however, we suggest you book ahead to get a room that fits your Center Auditorium and the Western Folklife Center’s G Three Bar budget and needs. Theater. Wheelchair seating is limited at both venues. Volunteers

Find hotels that offer special Gathering rates on our website, will be available upon request to assist visitors with disabilities. www.nationalcowboypoetrygathering.org/planning-your-trip. Please call (775) 738-7508 to pre-arrange these services. For hotel advice, call the Western Folklife Center at (775) 738- Unfortunately, the shuttle vans are not equipped with lifts. 7508 ext. 238, the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority at (800) 248-3556, or the Elko Chamber of Commerce at (775) 738-7135. WEATHER Elko is in the high desert of the Great Basin at 5,000-ft elevation HOW TO GET AROUND ONCE YOU’RE HERE: with nearby mountains that affect the weather, giving January The main Gathering venues are located a little more than a mile and February a variety of conditions. Check the forecasted apart. We provide complimentary shuttle service on a fixed route weather before you travel and road conditions if you are driving. between venues Wednesday through Saturday. These shuttles Web cameras are a great resource. Always be prepared for cold transport artists and audience alike, and we ask that artists get temperatures and snowfall. priority if needed — we wouldn’t want them to be late to a show! TH Elko does have taxi service and free parking is abundant. Some SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 37 GATHERING It’s not too early to mark your calendars for the 37th National hotels will offer shuttle service for their guests. Cowboy Poetry Gathering, January 25 – 30, 2021.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: nationalcowboypoetrygathering.org · (888) 880-5885 · (775) 738-7508

Volunteer at the Gathering

Whether you’re from Elko or from out of town, you can lend a hand at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Volunteers assist with everything from taking tickets to creating stages to helping guests and artists. Over 300 volunteers keep this operation going, so it’s a great way to meet your fellow Gathering-goers. Opportunities are available throughout the week of the Gathering (and earlier!). Get involved! Get matched up with a volunteer opportunity by registering at westernfolklife.org/ volunteer. Our Volunteer Coordinator will contact you with more information starting in October. Jessica Brandi Lifland Brandi Jessica

36TH NATIONAL COWBOY POETRY GATHERING 17 MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT

Join Us and Buy Tickets Early By supporting the Western Folklife Center as a member, you not only help us bring you the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering and outstanding exhibitions, films, and educational programs for youth — you also get to buy your National Cowboy Poetry Gathering tickets one month early. Many shows sell out, so this is a good reason to become a member. You also get a free ticket to a special members' show and a discount on the 3-Day Deluxe Pass, which gives you access to all of the non-ticketed daytime programming at the Gathering!

How Does It Work?

First, become a member no later than August 30 by visiting westernfolklife.org. You can also call the Western Folklife Center at (888) 880-5885 ext. 222 or simply mail in your Ticket Order Form (pages 10-11) with the membership purchase included.

Tickets and passes go on sale for members at 9:00am PDT on September 3. Purchase them online at nationalcowboypoetrygathering.org or over the phone by calling (775) 738-7508 or toll-free at (888) 880-5885.

Members may also purchase the 3-Day Deluxe Pass for $60 from September 3 through October 2. When tickets go on sale to the public on October 3, Deluxe Passes return to the full price of $80.

Marla Aufmuth Membership Benefits

MEMBERSHIP LEVELS Friend Family Patron Contributor Supporter Partner Donor Benefactor Sustainer $40 $75 $100 $150 $250 $500 $1,000 $1,500 $3,000

Purchase Gathering Limit 2 tickets Limit 4 tickets Limit 6 tickets Limit 8 tickets Unlimited tickets for each show at the Gathering tickets early per show per show per show per show

Free ticket(s) to 1 ticket 2 tickets 3 tickets 4 tickets 6 tickets 8 tickets 10 tickets a Members’ Show

Discounts in Gift Shop $5 gift certificate Ongoing 10% discount

Unframed Gathering poster     

Gift package    

Free admission to all Western Folklife Center   events (excludes Gathering)

18 WWW.NATIONALCOWBOYPOETRYGATHERING.ORG MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT

Sponsorship Opportunities Donations Corporations and foundations can impact Your support is greatly valued and appreciated. We programming and support general operations by welcome your tax-deductible gift of any size to underwriting or sponsoring Gathering events. And the Western Folklife Center.

anyone can help bring a performing artist to this The Western Folklife Center is a non-profit 501c(3) organization year’s Gathering. based in Elko, Nevada. Please consult with your attorney or tax advisor for the various tax benefits and restrictions that may apply For more information, contact us at (775) 738-7508, ext. 222 or to your specific situation. visit westernfolklife.org.

SUPPORT THE GATHERING WITH A DONATION TO THE SILENT AUCTION

Want to support the Western Folklife Center and its programs? Donate something wonderful to our silent auction! We are looking for a wide variety of high-quality items representing Western life: framed artwork, sculptures, handcrafted horse gear, musical instruments, clothing, books, handmade quilts, carvings, cases of wine, travel packages, and other experiences. Please email [email protected] or call (888) 880-5885, ext.

222, with donation information or questions. Lifland Brandi Jessica

Thank You to the Major Sponsors of the 2019 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

 Sponsors listed gave $5,000 or more The Ford Foundation NV Energy Foundation William Randolph Hearst Foundation Blach Distributing Company Elko County Recreation Board The Bretzlaff Foundation City of Elko KNPB Channel 5 Public Broadcasting NV Energy McMullen McPhee & Co LLC Red Lion Hotel & Casino Elko Convention & Visitors Authority Sally Searle Louise & Gunnar Klarr Marion “Scotty” Searle John Muraglia Laura & E.W. Littlefield, Jr. Stockmen’s Casino & Ramada Inn Elko Nevada Arts Council TownePlace Suites by Marriott National Endowment for the Arts Nevada Humanities National Endowment for the Humanities Wells Fargo Bank Foundation Newmont Mining Corporation Elko Broadcasting Company Barrick Ledgestone Hotel Elko

Jessica Brandi Lifland Brandi Jessica Nevada Commission on Tourism Best Western Elko Inn

36TH NATIONAL COWBOY POETRY GATHERING 19 The mission of the Western Folklife Center is to use story and cultural expression to connect the American West to the world.

501 Railroad St. Elko, NV 89801-3752

THE WESTERN FOLKLIFE CENTER presents

THE 36th

NATIONAL Blazers , 2013 Marion Coleman, Trail COWBOY POETRY GATHERING January 27–February 1, 2020 · Elko, Nevada